Beneath the Clockwork Mountain

it goes down under ground

Staring into the kaleidoscope pool

second log

30

DEC/16

A wealthy Wizard, Pffn Krackengibb is one of the senior students who study and tutor in magic at the Krackengibb House. Gossip being what it is has spread across town like goblin fire and Pffn reaches out to hire the group to gather some things for him. Primarily he is asking the group to pierce the tunnels in the center of the circular borders of the Gnomish city states.

The Wizard is young by the standards of his people, adorned in wealthy robes so no one can doubt his pedigree. He gives the impression of great intelligence spread very thing to a myriad of his shifting thoughts. He offers gold and magic for as much on the vellum list he produces as the group can collect. Assuming the group takes the job leaves with a warning, "Watch out for Petunia. She got loose and I worry might be wandering the tunnels." disappearing before he can explain any more.

Toward the center of the mountain are an intricate network of tunnels. Steam power carts zip through the neck breaking twists and turns to maintain commerce, brave messengers plumb the lost roads to find the fastest routes but much of the network remains a dangerous mystery to the Gnomes. On the list provided are a set of rough guesses where the components might be found. Anyone with basic map reading skills can guess that this job will take them at least three days away from civilization, best case.

Its only a few hours into the journey the group runs into a hideous creature coiled in the middle of the pathway. It looks a like a gray lipless goblin head on a serpentine body and huge viper's fang. Its likely from the lair located nearby that aberration has been here only a few weeks. The winding paths give way to hard packed earth and the smooth Gnomish architecture finally reveals the mountain itself.

A nervous air haunts the group as the mysterious twists and turns seem to taunt something waiting for them. And for days maybe that is not the case. Perhaps compounding the hanging dread. They eventually stumble upon tracks suggesting Goblins also wander these tunnels. After a brief debate they decide to track them down. After four days with no success they return to the task at hand.

When the group eventually finds the arcane cache they have stumbled into an awe inspiring sight. An open cavern bathed in blue light emitting from bushels of large non poisonous mushrooms. Veins of magical elements zig zag through rock and anyone employing magical senses is initially dazed. The perceptive might note piles of bones, some still wet littered around the area, the even more astute sees the giant freakish rabbit before it tries to trample the group.

Once the battle has concluded one way or the other pain moan echoes through the chambers followed scattered moved just beyond. Investigation reveals a strange hodgepodge of features on some wounded humanoid that Petunia was making a meal out of. Terrified creatures similar to the wound one if nothing else but their unique jig saw configuration peak out from rocks. The group heals the wounded creature who sprints away afterward.